Discover L (Book 2) | Complete |

~~~ Pass The Blame ~~~

Darkness wasn't as peaceful as it should have been. First, there was screaming, then the sounds of something buzzing loudly, and then the lilt of soft music. L couldn't fathom what kind of afterlife she'd been brought to, but it was definitely unusual. She pushed through her confusion and forced her eyes open. Her vision was blurry, and no amount of blinking cleared it up. The sounds around her had also grown more puzzling; faster music, quiet whispers, and what she thought might be furniture being moved.

She tried to get up, except her body wouldn't respond, and she couldn't summon the magic to clear her eyesight. She closed her eyes again and must have drifted into a doze because the next time she became aware, the atmosphere had changed. She couldn't hear music, talking or anyone moving. Her eyes felt clearer, but it was still too foggy to see where she was. Maybe she had to make the journey to the afterlife whilst blinded? 

"L? L, you're awake. Ugh, that's a relief."

The voice sounded familiar, but L couldn't place it at first. She tried to lift her head to see better, but a throbbing pain forced her to lay straight back down.

"Wait, don't try to move."

L frowned at the voice, but her brain was still too sluggish to recognise whose voice it was. Bright light illuminated her surroundings suddenly, and L squinted at the pain it caused.

"L? Are you okay?" The voice was tentative, almost nervous to ask.

L rubbed at her eyes, "I didn't think death would still cause this much pain."

She heard a sigh and tried to blink away the glare from the light to see who was there. A face swam into view, but her eyes still wouldn't clear up enough to see through the fuzziness.

"Hey, you're not dead, thankfully, but you were out cold for so long that I was worried you might just let go."

That voice, she knew it now. Her brain was starting to catch up, and she didn't like what it was trying to tell her.

"Robbie? What's going on? I can't see a thing." Her voice was so hoarse it barely sounded like her.

A hand reached out to pat her shoulder, "I'll explain everything soon, but let's get you better first. They said you'll regain your eyesight faster once you wake up. I'm so glad you're still alive, L."

But that was the issue; she couldn't understand how she was alive. Her memories had all been retrieved, and with them, the pain and confusion of what had happened.

"Bryce... I need to get up and find Bryce. Where are we right now? With the Jadavah?"

L attempted to get up, but Robbie's hand pushed her back down with an unexpected amount of ease.

"I told you I'll explain when you're up to it, for now, you need to rest."

"No, I need to find Bryce. They took him somewhere and I have to look for him."

L heard a heavy sigh, a sound she'd never heard Robbie make before, and it left a cold feeling in her chest. It was filled with sadness and sympathy, and L never wanted to hear it ever again.

"L... Bryce is..." he couldn't seem to bring himself to finish that sentence.

"No, you're wrong... there's no way one little dagger would take him down."

L shook her head despite the pain. She couldn't make herself believe that he was gone; it had to be some kind of trick. Andrei could have done that, quite easily given what she'd seen, and speaking of.

"Andrei? What about that cretin?"

"L, please relax. You can't exert yourself like this. Just calm down."